Michael Imperioli and Vincent Piazza (best known for playing Lucky Luciano on Boardwalk Empire) are no strangers to the mafia scene — they kind of know how to pick their outings, too. Thanks to that much — and I do think it counts for something — mark me down as positive on The Wannabe, which Variety report will star the two of them and Patricia Arquette, while Nick Sandow will direct from a screenplay of his own devising.

Piazza will lead the early ’90s New York City period piece, playing an unliked member of the neighborhood who has ambitions to team up with his local mob. Imperioli is taking a break from The Sopranos‘ Christafuh type to appear as his brother, “a hard-working family man”; Arquette, meanwhile, is playing a love interest to the lead character, with whom he falls in love and starts “a ride worthy of mob lore.” Something about that description — chalk that “something” to cinematic experience — makes me think this won’t turn out too well. All the better, actually.

It hasn’t been said when The Wannabe will enter production, though the small nature leads me to think this one isn’t so far off.

In further indie casting news, THR tell us the sex addiction drama Addicted (fitting title) has nabbed one lead in Boris Kodjoe. Before today, Addicted sounded like a project that got started, found a director, then receives virtually no other treatment; now, though, it would appear to actually be happening.

Even then, the original helmer (Rosemary Rodriguez) has been replaced by Bille Woodruff, who’ll make his long-awaited follow-up to Beauty Shop by adapting the best-selling novel by Zane. The central character is a housewife — so, not the person Kodjoe will play — that finds herself unable to fulfill sexual desires with just one man. Which is to say, she needs to sleep with a lot of men.

That part has yet to be cast but, in the meantime, Lionsgate will keep Addiction moving along with its one star in tow.

Does The Wannabe come out strong with these three players? How about Addiction and its one main star?